Kubiak-Schneider, Aleksandra
(...)
Editorial: Brepols Publishers
Colección: Studies in Palmyrene Archaeology and History ; 14
Número de páginas: 360 págs. 28.0 x 21.6 cm
Fecha de edición: 01-08-2026
EAN: 9782503609584
ISBN: 978-2-503-60958-4
Precio (sin IVA): 181,50 €
Precio (IVA incluído): 188,76 €
Banqueting tesserae — small, moulded terracotta tokens — were used in the religious sphere of Palmyra in the first three centuries AD, conveying a vivid iconographic language that underpinned sacral banquets held in the city’s sanctuaries and banqueting halls. Found today in those locations, these artefacts offer a rare glimpse into the overwhelmingly rich ritual and social lives of Palmyrene society.
This book and corpus provides the first comprehensive revision to the study of banqueting tokens since the 1955 publication Recueil des tessères de Palmyre, which catalogued 1132 types. Building on that foundational work, this publication updates the original corpus with 168 newly identified tesserae types, including numerous previously unpublished examples from the Palmyra Museum and a private collection in Damascus. Each new type is presented with detailed descriptions of motifs and inscriptions.
The book examines the rich iconographic and epigraphic landscape of tesserae, which feature depictions of priests, deities, animals, and symbolic imagery, while also casting light on some of the individuals who financed these feasts. With extensive indices on the iconography and epigraphy of the new types, as well as a translation of the indices from the Recueil des tessères de Palmyre, this new corpus presents a comprehensive overview and systematic study of this overlooked yet revealing class of material culture, which provides a unique source for our understanding of Palmyrene religious life.
